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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24289030">Dream of A Memory</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpokenOutcast/pseuds/Bowwy'>Bowwy (SpokenOutcast)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Catradora Club Discord Server, Cuddling, F/F, Just a little angst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:47:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,844</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24289030</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpokenOutcast/pseuds/Bowwy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Adora and Catra, honestly I have no way to explain this one shot. It's soft. It's got a touch of angst. They cuddle at the end. They cuddle at the beginning. Explores a little bit of Catra's mind and why she didn't immediately defect with Adora. It is what it is.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adora/Catra (She-Ra)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>97</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Dream of A Memory</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey, Adora,” she purred.</p><p>“Catra what are you doing?” She asked.</p><p>“Nothing, what does it look like I'm doing?”</p><p>“Crushing my rib cage,” she responded. The magicat was laying on top of her as if she were the mattress, her entire upper body's weight on her chest.</p><p>“Oh, do you want me to move?” She cooed at the girl under her, sitting up slightly to give the girl's chest some relief.</p><p>“That would be nice, yes.” Catra frowned at that but she rolled off anyway. When she was off of the bed she stretched and her spine sounded like it popped in several places. Adora chuckled.</p><p>“What's so funny?” She asked, scowling.</p><p>“If I didn't know better I'd say you were in a rather uncomfortable position all night.” Catra rolled her eyes and walked towards the door, as she opened it she shrugged, which was something of an odd motion.</p><p>“I guess you don't know better. I'll see you at breakfast, I'm going to hit the showers.”</p><p>“Okay.” Adora followed suit, rolling out of bed and stretching. They'd grown close throughout the years, sometimes Catra would have nightmares and end up in Adora's bed. Oddly, Adora was okay with this. She didn't usually like people taking up space in her already small bed, but she didn't mind Catra. They were best friends after all, and what kind of person would turn their friend away after they've had a nightmare? Sometimes people just needed a good cuddle.</p><p>That didn't stop her from occasionally teasing the other girl about the situation. She never made fun of her for the nightmares, but she thought it was funny how often she woke up with the other girl sleeping on top of her like a weighted blanket. She recalled a time when she asked Catra to talk about her nightmares in hopes that they would go away if she just...got them out of her head. The things Catra described still made her shudder.</p><p>Adora found herself peeling off her nightshirt and pulling out fresh clothes from her dresser. She'd showered the night before and she didn't really feel like showering at the same time as Catra. It wasn't that she was...nervous or anything. She just felt like showering with a friend would be awkward. Yes, that was it. She just didn't want to be awkward. Definitely.</p><p>When she was dressed she tossed her clothes into her hamper, the horde gave every trainee one. Whoever did the worst in their tests for the day would end up having to take all of the clothes to the laundry room and wash them. It seemed like a pretty good system, except the person that usually did the worst in her sector was Kyle. Poor kid. She felt bad for him but chose not to think too hard about why he was always doing so badly. It was possible he just wasn't cut out for fighting, and that was okay! To her, at least. Hordak would certainly give him some kind of useless job to make use of him, and that job would probably bore him to tears, but it was better than being stuck a homeless orphan, as they'd found him.</p><p>Like they'd found her.</p><p>She walked out into the hallway and headed towards the dining hall. When she walked in she saw Catra sitting on one of the tables like a hooligan.</p><p>“If Shadow Weaver catches you she's not going to be very happy,” Adora chided.</p><p>“Shadow Weaver is never happy, what's the difference?” As if on cue, the older woman walked up behind Catra and shoved her off the table. The girl landed on her feet and whirled around ready to pounce on whoever pushed her off until she saw who it was and froze. She bowed her head, Adora could tell it was less out of respect and more so she didn't have to face the sorceress.</p><p>“Is it impossible for you to sit like an actual person, Catra? Should I talk to Hordak about giving you your very own dining quarters since it seems you struggle with even the most simple of all dining manners?”</p><p>“No, Shadow Weaver. That won't be necessary.” The woman hummed in response and glared.</p><p>“I taught you better. And Adora,” the girl stood at attention now, “I told you to keep this one out of trouble. I expect better of you, too.”</p><p>“Yes, Shadow Weaver. It won't happen again,” she affirmed. She could tell Catra wouldn't be happy with that response but waited for Shadow Weaver to wander off before breaking character. “Catra, I--”</p><p>“I don't want to hear it,” she cut her off. Adora went to grab Catra's shoulder reassuringly, but the girl ran off before she could. Adora, of course, ran after her. This wasn't the first time Catra had a meltdown over something Adora said to Shadow Weaver, or vice versa.</p><p>By the time she caught up to her friend, they were outside and Catra was hiding behind some cargo boxes. Her tail over her feet and her arms hugging her knees.</p><p>“Catra, you know I only said that so Shadow Weaver would leave you alone.” She didn't get a response, instead, when she peeked over the boxes, Catra pointedly hid her face from her. “You're not mine to control, you're your own person. I honestly don't understand why she's so...cruel to you. I never have.” She scoffed at that.</p><p>“She's mean because I'm not you, I'll never be you. You're like her prized child or something. I'll never be more than second best.”</p><p>“I wish I knew how to help, Catra.” The girl shrugged.</p><p>“Honestly, I don't think there's anything you can do. There's no way for me to impress her, I—I can't get on her good side. It's impossible.” Adora's heart broke at the sorry sight her friend was in. The girl had deflated even more than before, she looked smaller than ever. Adora walked around the boxes and sat beside her. Catra instinctively leaned against her. “I know you only told her those things to make her go away, but that doesn't mean I liked hearing that from you. Whenever you give in to what she says...it's like you agree with her.”</p><p>“I know Catra, I'm sorry.” They sat there for a few minutes, silently wondering what to do next. Adora got lost in her thoughts and before she could stop herself she began speaking again, “Catra,” she started, “do you...are you comfortable with me?” Catra laughed at that.</p><p>“Of course I am you idiot,” she said fondly. Her sadness ebbing away with each passing second. “What kind of question is that?”</p><p>“Sometimes you just...feel a little distant, I guess.”</p><p>“Adora,” Catra grabbed jaw and made her turn her head so they were looking directly at each other. “I literally woke up on your chest this morning. What do you mean I'm distant?” Her voice cracked when she asked the question.</p><p>“Lately it's like Shadow Weaver's been getting under your skin more than usual, and you used to talk to me about that stuff...but lately...” she trailed off. Catra let go of her chin and looked forward again. Adora continued watching her, though.</p><p>“I guess I've just been in my head but that has nothing to do with you. We're okay, Adora.” The blonde nodded at that and clambered onto her feet.</p><p>“Then let's get back, if we're late for training it'll be just another thing for Shadow Weaver to grill you about.” She held out her hand to help Catra up and for a moment the girl looked at it, contemplating whether or not to reject the gesture.</p><p>
  <em>Adora awoke from her dream in a cold sweat.</em>
</p><p>Next to her, the bed was empty. She sat up and rubbed her temples, her brain was hammering against her skull.</p><p>“Catra,” she muttered. “Catra are you around here?” she asked.</p><p>“What Adora?” Her voice sounded from the other side of the room.</p><p>“I was just...wondering where you were.” The room was pitch black but she knew Catra was crawling back into bed when she felt the surface beneath her move in another direction. Catra kissed her cheek and put her hand on her neck. In a different time, Adora might have flinched, but here and now she simply found herself sinking back into lying down and nestling herself into the other girl's body. Catra removed her hand from her neck and rested her arm over her waist.</p><p>“I'm right here, Adora,” she whispered.</p><p>“I know, I just worry sometimes. You...we couldn't do this for so long.” Catra's hand found Adora's then, and it reassuringly gave a squeeze. Adora remembered the dream, how Catra wasn't sure she wanted to take her hand, and now...here they were. They'd come so far, she couldn't deny that. She felt bad that she still questioned Catra from time to time, but the woman was always there to answer her questions.</p><p>“I wasn't around for a while but I'm here now. With you. In bed. And we're married. I don't think I could run away even if I tried, and you know there's no horde for me to defect to. I don't think you have to worry anymore.” The part about the horde was clearly a joke, but it still made an uneasy feeling wash over her.</p><p>“Why wouldn't you come with me?” She stared off into the darkness. Catra was quiet for a few beats too long for Adora's comfort before she said anything.</p><p>“I wasn't ready to leave everything behind. Shadow Weaver was...awful but I was still trying to prove something to her, I think. At least at first. The horde was our home and I didn't want to lose everyone at the same time. We'd worked so hard for so long...I just didn't see why you'd want to give all that up for some princesses.”</p><p>“Do you...see why I wanted to leave so quickly now?” Catra had an answer much faster this time, which Adora was thankful for.</p><p>“Of course. I wish I'd gotten out sooner too. I could've avoided...a lot of things.”</p><p>“I'm glad you're here now, better late than never I guess.” Catra gently kissed the back of the blonde's neck and Adora blushed. They didn't often show each other affection in public and somehow she still hadn't quite gotten used to it in private, either.</p><p>“Let's go back to sleep, okay?” Adora hummed in agreement and shut her eyes, but just as she was about to fall asleep it occurred to her that Catra had gotten out of bed and was doing something before she called out her.</p><p>“Wait, Catra,” she grumbled.</p><p>“What?” She asked.</p><p>“What were you doing over there?”</p><p>“Oh, nothing. Don't worry about it I just...had some trouble sleeping, so I tried reading.”</p><p>“Reading...in the dark?” Catra chuckled at that.</p><p>“I can see pretty well in the dark, you know.” Adora shot up in bed.</p><p>“You can WHAT?!”</p>
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